These concerts are part of the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra's 2017 GLOBAL SOUNDSCAPES FESTIVAL, which explores and celebrates the intersection of Canadas resident cultures with musical traditions and instruments from all over the world, through the creation and performance of intercultural music. The festival presents international guest artists and ensembles alongside Canadian musicians in a series of concerts, workshops and public educational presentations.

The 2017 edition (subtitled Hands On) will focus on percussion instruments from China, Indonesia, Korea, Iran and India. Percussion instruments from many cultures provide composers with a rich source of sounds and rhythms, and offer unique opportunities for connection across cultures. The beat of a drum is primal and in many ways universal, but the range of distinctive instruments and techniques that have developed all over the world offers fertile ground for innovation and cross-cultural learning in the VICO context.